Reform since 1997

• Magna carta: established the rule of law should apply and the monarch should operate within the law in 1215.
• The bill of rights: stated that parliament was sovereign and would have the final word on legislation and the governments finances in 1689.
• The act of settlement: established the legal rules governing the succession to the throne in 1701.
• The acts of union: abolished the seperate Scottish parliament and so established the modern nation of Great Britain in 1707.
• The parliament acts: settled the relationship between house of commons and the house of lords in 1911 and 1949.
• The European communities: brought the UK into the European comity which later became the European union in 1972.
• The UK voted to leave the EU in 2016.
• The European (notification of withdrawal) act: this gave parliamentary consent to the UK’s exit from the EU in 2017.
• Constraints on parliamentary sovereignty: executive power, treaties, HRA 1998, devolution and referendums.
• The power of the house of lords was reduced in the 1911 parliament act.
• Pressure grew in the 1990s to reform due to poll tax, north south divide grew.
• New labour of 1997 brought in democratisation, decentralisation, stronger protection rights and modernisation.
• The labour party was voted into power in 1997.
• Devolution was a key element of the 1997 Labour government
• Parliamentary reform of the 1997 Labour gov:

  • remove hereditary peers to effectively make the chamber all-appointed, allowed 92 to stay (Cranborne Compromise)
  • To replace the remaining house of lords with an elected chamber but this did not happen
• House of commons reform 1997 Labour gov:

  • In 2004, chairs of committees were awarded additional salaries to raise their status
  • In 2010 labour introduced a system for electing members of select committees by the whole house of commons
  • 2010 a Backbench Business committee was established
• Rights Reforms of Labour 1997 government: in 1998 the UK parliament passed the human rights act which came into force in 2000 but not strictly binding due to parliamentary sovereignty
• Rights reforms Labour 1997 government: Freedom of information Act 2000.
• Electoral Reform of the Labour 1997 government: when devolution was being considered so PR was agreed upon.
• New Labour 1997:

  • modernisation
  • democratisation
  • decentralisation
  • rights
• Conservative and Lib Dem coalition 2010 - 2015:

  • Fixed Term parliament Act 2011 - PM could no longer decide on the time of an election
  • Devolution - 2012 Scotland Act
  • Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 - scrutiny of security services
  • House of Lords Reform Act 2014 - gave exiting peers the right to resign or retire their seats.
  • 2015 - Lords can remove a peer for breach of conduct
  • Recall of Lords Reform Act 2014 - constituents can trigger a by-election.
• Arguments for a codified constitution:

  • greater protections for citizens and minorities
  • people will know their rights as it is clearer
  • it is modern and most countries use it
  • overpowering executive
• Arguments against a codified constitution:

  • flexibility - can change to meet society’s needs
  • executive power would remain under a codified constitution
  • un codified allows us to make decisions based on current situations (conservative pragmatism)
• Arguments against further devolution in England:

  • create a new layer of gov that would be expensive
  • create
  • need for too many elections, promoting voter apathy
  • there are few signs for any great demand for such
• Arguments for further devolution:

  • extend democracy and improve accountability
  • could better reflect the problems specific to regions
  • would help prevent excessive differences between living standards and quality of life
• The process of electing successors proved to be relatively well-mannered and widely accepted for example David Cameron stood down to Theresa May who was replaced by Johnson who delivered Brecht